This is how runaway inflation gets started, people see prices going up and think to themselves, I better buy now because A. I will regret not buying it if the price goes up, and B. if I don't spend my money now it won't buy as much of anything in the very near future. When everyone does this it increases demand witch increases price and causes more people to panic and buy stuff witch causes prices to increase so buying increases... it could get real ugly real fast!
That is true if there is something to buy. But when the shelves are empty, no amount of money is going to buy something off them.
